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Ukraine issues arrest warrant for Viktor Yanukovych over mass murder

Diane A. Wade
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Ukraine issues arrest warrant for Viktor Yanukovych over mass murder

An arrest warrant has been issued in Ukraine for ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, the interim interior minister has announced.

Arsen Avakov announced on Facebook that a criminal case had been opened against Viktor Yanukovych and other officials over “mass murder of peaceful citizens”.

Ukraine’s parliament voted to remove Viktor Yanukovych on Saturday after months of protest sparked by his rejection of an EU deal.

A crackdown on the protests last week left dozens dead.

“An official case for the mass murder of peaceful citizens has been opened,” said Arsen Avakov.

“Yanukovych and other people responsible for this have been declared wanted.”

A criminal case has been opened against Viktor Yanukovych and other officials over mass murder of peaceful citizens
A criminal case has been opened against Viktor Yanukovych and other officials over mass murder of peaceful citizens

The statement said Viktor Yanukovych was last seen in Balaklava on the Crimean peninsula on Sunday, but that he had left by car for an unknown destination, accompanied by an aide.

Before leaving Balaklava Viktor Yanukovych gave his state-appointed security detail the choice to leave him, with many choosing to do so, the statement said.

It did not say which other figures were covered by the warrant.

Arsen Avakov – a key opposition figure – was appointed interim interior minister on Saturday, in a day of fast-paced events in parliament.

He replaced Vitaly Zakharchenko, who was sacked the day before after being blamed for the deaths of civilians in the crackdown on protesters.

The protests first began in late November when Viktor Yanukovych rejected a landmark association and trade deal with the EU in favor of closer ties with Russia.

Ukraine’s health ministry says 88 people, mostly anti-Yanukovych protesters but also police, are now known to have been killed in last week’s clashes.

Viktor Yanukovych insisted on Saturday that he was still Ukraine’s legitimate leader. But he had become increasingly isolated and parliament voted to impeach him and hold presidential elections in May.

Ukraine: Russian ambassador recalled as Kiev focuses on closer integration with EU

Diane A. Wade
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Ukraine: Russian ambassador recalled as Kiev focuses on closer integration with EU

Russian ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov has been recalled over what it described as the deteriorating situation in the country.

Moscow has condemned the removal of President Viktor Yanukovych, who was dismissed by parliament on Saturday.

Ukraine’s newly appointed interim president, Olexander Turchynov, says the country will now focus on closer integration with the EU.

Viktor Yanukovych’s rejection of an EU trade deal in favor of closer ties with Russia had triggered the unrest.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is due to arrive in Kiev on Monday to discuss EU support “for a lasting solution to the political crisis and measures to stabilize the economic situation”.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said the US strongly supports the Ukrainian parliament’s vote to impeach Viktor Yanukovych and call elections, the central demand of months of protests.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine’s opposition “had in effect seized power in Kiev, refused to disarm and continued to place its bets on violence”.

Russian ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov has been recalled over what it described as the deteriorating situation in the country
Russian ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov has been recalled over what it described as the deteriorating situation in the country

He accused them of deviating from a political deal they signed with Viktor Yanukovych on Friday, which aimed to end the protests after a week in which dozens of people were killed.

Moscow recently agreed to provide $15 billion (11 billion euros) to support Ukraine’s struggling economy, a move seen as a reward for Viktor Yanukovych’s controversial decision last year not to sign a long-planned trade deal with the EU.

But there are now fears Moscow could withdraw that offer.

A US official said US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had discussed Ukraine with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Sydney on Sunday.

Anton Siluanov reportedly left open the question of whether Russia would pay the next installment of financial help for Ukraine, worth $2 billion.

British Chancellor George Osborne said early on Monday that the UK was ready to provide financial support to Ukraine through international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Lawmakers from Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions now appear to be disowning him, having issued a statement criticizing him to Interfax-Ukraine.

In other decisions on Sunday:

  • Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara and Education Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk were dismissed
  • Arrest warrants were issued for former Incomes Minister Oleksandr Klimenko and former Prosecutor-General Viktor Pshonka
  • Parliament lowered the official status of the Russian language by cancelling a law brought in by Viktor Yanukovych
  • Parliament also voted to seize Viktor Yanukovych’s luxury estate near Kiev, which protesters entered on Saturday [youtube inQUUTiSnLU 650]

Bangkok explosion death toll rises to three

Diane A. Wade
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Bangkok explosion death toll rises to three

The death toll from a blast in Bangkok rose to three on Monday.

On Sunday, an apparent grenade blast near an anti-government protest site killed a woman and a four-year-old boy.

Doctors said on Monday that the little boy’s sister died later of brain injuries.

Twenty-two people were hurt in Sunday’s blast, including a nine-year-old boy who is in intensive care.

An apparent grenade blast near anti-government protest site killing a woman and a 4-year-old boy
An apparent grenade blast near anti-government protest site killing a woman and a 4-year-old boy

Sunday’s attack came hours after gunmen opened fire on an anti-government rally in eastern Thailand, killing a five-year-old girl.

Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra has condemned the attacks, describing them as “terrorist acts for political gain”.

UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon has also spoken out, calling for violence “from any quarter” to end immediately.

Meanwhile, the Thai army chief says the military will not intervene with force in the country’s crisis.

Thailand’s political crisis has become increasingly violent since mass protests began in November.

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South Korea and US annual military drills begin amid family reunions in North Korea

Roy Siemens
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South Korea and US annual military drills begin amid family reunions in North Korea

South Korea and US joint military drills have begun, amid rare family reunions between North and South Korean relatives separated for decades.

The annual military exercises will last until April 18.

They will involve Key Resolve, a computer-based simulation, and Foal Eagle, which involves air, ground and naval drills.

Pyongyang is opposed to the drills and had previously threatened to cancel the reunions if the exercises went ahead.

The military drills will involve more than 12,500 US troops.

The US and South Korea describe the annual drills as defensive in nature, but Pyongyang has described them as “exercises of war”.

Last year, the exercises led to a prolonged surge in tensions, with North Korea threatening pre-emptive nuclear strikes and attacks on South Korean and US targets.

The rhetoric this year has so far been relatively mild, but the drills are scheduled to last until April, and many here see them as the toughest test yet of whether ties between the two Koreas are warming.

South Korea and US annual military exercises will last until April 18
South Korea and US annual military exercises will last until April 18

Speaking on Monday, South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said: “As of now, there are no unusual movements from North Korea. We will only take action against North Korea if it makes provocations or denunciations.”

Also on Monday, around 360 South Koreans met their North Korean relatives for the first time since the 1950-1953 Korean War, at a family reunion event in North Korea’s Mount Kumgang resort.

They were the second set of relatives chosen to attend the reunions, which come amid an apparent thaw in inter-Korean ties.

Many people were separated from their relatives by the division of the Korean peninsula after the Korean War.

Pyongyang has been accused of using the family reunions, which are highly emotional events, as a bargaining chip.

North Korea has in the past canceled the reunions after the South took actions it opposed – most recently in September.

Meanwhile, South Korea also offered to assist the North with tackling an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

North Korean state media said that thousands of pigs had been affected by the disease.

South Korea, which has also been hit by outbreaks before, has offered to send aid, including medical goods and vaccines, officials said.

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Piers Morgan Live show to be canceled amid disastrous ratings

Lisa.Felice
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Piers Morgan Live show to be canceled amid disastrous ratings

Piers Morgan’s CNN prime-time talk show – Piers Morgan Live – is to be canceled.

Piers Morgan, 48, told The New York Times it had been “a painful period” for the show, which has suffered lacklustre ratings.

CNN’s audience had tired of hearing a Briton weigh in on American cultural issues, he said.

Piers Morgan said he was in discussions with CNN about a new role at the channel following the end of the show, probably in March.

The former Daily Mirror editor replaced veteran host Larry King three years ago and interviewed statesman and celebrities, including ex-President Bill Clinton, and financier Warren Buffett. Oprah Winfrey was Piers Morgan Live’s first guest.

Piers Morgan's CNN prime-time talk show is to be canceled
Piers Morgan’s CNN prime-time talk show is to be canceled

But it was his outspoken remarks about gun ownership that have garnered most attention in recent months.

“Look, I am a British guy debating American cultural issues, including guns, which has been very polarizing, and there is no doubt that there are many in the audience who are tired of me banging on about it,” Piers Morgan told the New York Times.

Piers Morgan said that he would like to do fewer appearances that have more impact.

Interviews with major celebrities and powerful figures would be “better suited to what I do well”, he said.

Earlier this month it emerged that Piers Morgan had been questioned by police under caution over alleged phone hacking at Mirror Group Newspapers.

Piers Morgan has always denied any involvement in hacking.

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Rob Ford runs into hydrant as he celebrates Canada men’s hockey win at Sochi Winter Games

Nancy Clayson
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Rob Ford runs into hydrant as he celebrates Canada men’s hockey win at Sochi Winter Games

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was out in the street celebrating Canada men’s hockey win over Sweden at Sochi Winter Games when he ran into a fire hydrant and appeared to injure his groin.

Rob Ford hurt his groin running into a hydrant
Rob Ford hurt his groin running into a hydrant

Duck Dynasty stars attend Dare to be a Duck event in Charleston

Sonia Pantiss
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Duck Dynasty stars attend Dare to be a Duck event in Charleston

Six stars of Duck Dynasty show were out on the town in Charleston, West Virginia, Saturday night for the Dare to be a Duck event to help raise money for a youth-led ministry program.

Si Robertson, Miss Kay Robertson, Korie Robertson, Alan Robertson, Sadie Robertson, John Luke Robertson and special guest Chrys Howard, the mother of Korie and grandmother of Sadie and John Luke, and her husband Alan featured the event.

The night was sponsored by Youth Commission ministries.

Six stars of Duck Dynasty show were in Charleston for the Dare to be a Duck event to help raise money for a youth-led ministry program
Six stars of Duck Dynasty show were in Charleston for the Dare to be a Duck event to help raise money for a youth-led ministry program

“We have students who love the Lord and are trying to make a difference in their homes, trying to make a difference in the community, and also on their school campus,” said YCI’s President and CEO Dennis Williams.

The club encourages kids to take a stand for their beliefs, just like the famous and quirky family they watch every week. Dennis Williams hopes to get more kids involved and let them know that they’re not alone.

The crowd welcomed Duck Dynasty stars with open arms, and couldn’t wait to meet in person the popular personalities of the hit show.

Alice Herz-Sommer: Oldest-known Holocaust survivor dies in London at 110

Nancy Clayson
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Alice Herz-Sommer: Oldest-known Holocaust survivor dies in London at 110

Oldest-known Holocaust survivor Alice Herz-Sommer died Sunday morning in London at the age of 110, her family has announced.

Alice Herz-Sommer died in a hospital after being admitted Friday, daughter-in-law Genevieve Sommer said.

Her devotion to the piano and to her son sustained her through two years in a Nazi prison camp, and a film about her has been nominated for best short documentary at next week’s Academy Awards.

An accomplished pianist, Alice Herz-Sommer, her husband and her son were sent from Prague in 1943 to a concentration camp in the Czech city of Terezin – Theresienstadt in German – where inmates were allowed to stage concerts in which she frequently starred.

An estimated 140,000 Jews were sent to Terezin and 33,430 died there. About 88,000 were moved on to Auschwitz and other death camps, where most of them were killed.

Alice Herz-Sommer and her son, Stephan, were among fewer than 20,000 who were freed when the notorious camp was liberated by the Soviet army in May 1945.

Alice Herz-Sommer, her husband and her son were sent from Prague in 1943 to a concentration camp in the Czech city of Terezin
Alice Herz-Sommer, her husband and her son were sent from Prague in 1943 to a concentration camp in the Czech city of Terezin

Though she never learned where her mother died after being rounded up, and her husband died of typhus at Dachau, in her old age she expressed little bitterness.

Alice Herz-Sommer was born on November 26, 1903, in Prague, and started learning the piano from her sister at age 5.

As a girl, she met the author Franz Kafka, a friend of her brother-in-law, and delighted in the stories that he told.

Alice married Leopold Sommer in 1931. Their son was born in 1937, two years before the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Jews were allowed to shop for only half an hour in the afternoon, by which time the shops were empty. Most Jewish families were forced to leave their family apartments and were crammed into one apartment with other families, but her family was allowed to keep its home.

In 1942, her 73-year-old mother was transported to Terezin, then a few months later to Treblinka, an extermination camp.

In 1949, Alice Herz-Sommer left Czechoslovakia to join her twin sister Mizzi in Jerusalem. She taught at the Jerusalem Conservatory until 1986, when she moved to London.

Alice Herz-Sommer’s son, who changed his first name to Raphael after the war, made a career as a concert cellist. He died in 2001.

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Nicki Minaj sued by hair stylist Terrence Davidson over wigs

Lisa.Felice
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Nicki Minaj sued by hair stylist Terrence Davidson over wigs

Nicki Minaj’s former hair stylist Terrence Davidson is suing the star for $30 million, accusing her of selling wigs based on his designs without permission.

Terrence Davidson began working for the rapper in 2010, creating multiple wigs for high-profile events and her Super Bass music video.

The hair stylist claims he had previously discussed a joint business venture with Nicki Minaj to launch a line of wigs.

Terrence Davidson says the star is now copying his wig designs and selling them online.

According to legal papers filed in Atlanta, Terrence Davidson says he also turned down a contract for a reality TV show on the advice of one of Nicki Minaj’s representatives, with the promise of creating his own reality show with the star about being a celebrity wig stylist.

Nicki Minaj’s former hair stylist Terrence Davidson is suing the star for $30 million, accusing her of selling wigs based on his designs without permission
Nicki Minaj’s former hair stylist Terrence Davidson is suing the star for $30 million, accusing her of selling wigs based on his designs without permission

But after months passed in 2012, Terrence Davidson claims Nicki Minaj and her team “took active steps to isolate [him] and preclude him from the notoriety he deserved for his wig designs”.

Terrence Davidson – whose celebrity clients also include singers Patti LaBelle and Jennifer Hudson – stopped working as Nicki Minaj’s stylist in early 2013, citing creative differences.

Christopher Chestnut, a lawyer for the hair stylist, said his client’s wigs “significantly contributed” to Nicki Minaj’s notoriety and helped her rise to fame.

The lawyer said Nicki Minaj “took a number of his popular wig designs, without his consent, and used them to start her own wig line”, resulting in at least $30 million in losses.

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Robert Mugabe celebrates 90th birthday at Harare stadium

Nancy Clayson
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Robert Mugabe celebrates 90th birthday at Harare stadium

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has celebrated his 90th birthday with a huge party at a Harare stadium.

Thousands of Zimbabweans have attended the official 90th birthday celebration for the veteran leader.

Robert Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980, released 90 balloons into the air at Marondera stadium, east of Harare.

He turned 90 on Friday but was in Singapore for eye surgery at the time.

Many schoolchildren were among the crowd, waving flags and chanting Robert Mugabe’s clan name.

Huge cakes were on display in the centre of the stadium in Marondera, while the crowd wore red scarves, as is traditional on Robert Mugabe's birthday
Huge cakes were on display in the centre of the stadium in Marondera, while the crowd wore red scarves, as is traditional on Robert Mugabe’s birthday

Huge cakes were on display in the centre of the stadium in Marondera, about 50 miles from Harare, while the crowd wore red scarves, as is traditional on the president’s birthday.

In an hour-long speech Robert Mugabe said Zimbabweans did not hate former colonial masters the British, but loved their own country more.

The cost of Robert Mugabe’s celebration – estimated at about $1 million – has prompted criticism in a country suffering from severe economic problems.

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Sochi closing ceremony: Russia tops medal table as Winter Olympics 2014 come to an end

Clyde K. Valle
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Sochi closing ceremony: Russia tops medal table as Winter Olympics 2014 come to an end

Russia finished on top of the medal table as the 22nd Winter Olympics came to a close in Sochi on Sunday after 17 days of competition.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach officially closed the Games during an extravagant 130-minute ceremony.

South Korea was given the Olympic flag as Pyeongchang hosts the 2018 Games.

Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated a rush of medals in Sochi with a triumphant closing ceremony on the shores of the Black Sea.

After spending $50 billion to build a mountain ski resort and a cluster of shimmering sports venues from scratch, failure was not an option for the omnipresent Russian president.

At the opening ceremony a fortnight ago, all the talk was of security fears, culls of stray dogs, last-minute glitches and a giant hydraulic snowflake that failed to open.

The 22nd Winter Olympics came to a close in Sochi on Sunday after 17 days of competition
The 22nd Winter Olympics came to a close in Sochi on Sunday after 17 days of competition

But by the closing ceremony – which featured ballet from the Bolshoi, music by Rachmaninov and tributes to Tolstoy and Kandinsky plus the usual protocol – the atmosphere was one of pure celebration swathed in the colors of the Russian flag.

IOC President Thomas Bach declared the most expensive Games in history “a real special experience”.

He also personally thanked Vladimir Putin for his contribution to the “extraordinary success of these Winter Games”.

The opening ceremony had been a pleasingly offbeat romp through Russian art and culture. With its marching bands and 1,000-strong children’s choir singing the national anthem, this was more of a traditional show of strength.

For the Russians who wildly cheered a clean sweep of the podium in the 30 mile cross country skiing and a second gold in the bobsleigh for Alexander Zubkov on the final day of competition, a surge of sporting success helped it go with a swing.

The Russian ice hockey team had limped out of the competition to Finland at the quarter-final stage, leaving Canada to triumph over Sweden in Sunday’s final.

Oleksandr Turchynov named Ukraine’s interim president

Diane A. Wade
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Oleksandr Turchynov named Ukraine’s interim president

Ukraine parliament’s speaker Oleksandr Turchynov has been named as interim president.

Oleksandr Turchynov takes charge following the dismissal of President Viktor Yanukovych on Saturday. He told lawmakers they had until Tuesday to form a new unity government.

Former PM Yulia Tymoshenko, who was freed from jail on Saturday, has ruled out becoming prime minister again.

Her release was one of the conditions of the EU-Ukraine trade pact that Viktor Yanukovych rejected last year.

The move triggered the protests that led to the current crisis.

The health ministry says 88 people, mostly protesters, are now known to have been killed in clashes since February 18.

Thousands of opposition supporters remain in Kiev’s Independence Square, heeding opposition calls not to disperse.

Ukraine parliament’s speaker Oleksandr Turchynov has been named as interim president
Ukraine parliament’s speaker Oleksandr Turchynov has been named as interim president

In response to reports that her name was being mentioned as a possible candidate, Yulia Tymoshenko issued a statement reading: “No-one has agreed or discussed this with me.

“Thank you for your respect but I would like you not to consider my nomination for the post of the head of government.”

Oleksandr Turchynov, a close associate of Yulia Tymoshenko, described forming a unity government as a “priority task”.

“We don’t have much time,” one of the opposition leaders, former world champion boxer Vitaly Klitschko, said as parliament began its debate.

“I want to make Ukraine a modern European country,” he said.

“If I can do that through the president’s position, I will do my best.”

In an address on Saturday, aired before lawmakers voted to remove him, Viktor Yanukovych refused to officially stand down. He is last thought to have been in Kharkiv after travelling there late on Friday night.

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Mohamed Morsi accused of leaking state secrets to Iran

Roy Siemens
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Mohamed Morsi accused of leaking state secrets to Iran

Egypt’s ousted President Mohamed Morsi has been accused by prosecutors of leaking state secrets to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

The claim came during the second hearing of his trial on espionage charges.

Prosecutors allege that he and 35 others were involved in a plot to destabilize Egypt. The trial was later adjourned to February 27.

The deposed Islamist leader is facing four separate trials.

Mohamed Morsi’s supporters say he and other senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders are the victims of politically motivated prosecutions.

The espionage trail opened on February 16 and on Sunday prosecutors detailed the charges against Mohamed Morsi and his co-defendants.

They were specifically accused of “delivering to a foreign country… national defense secrets and providing the Iranian Revolutionary Guards with security reports in order to destabilize the security and stability of the country”, AFP news agency reported.

The statement read in court did not identify the “foreign country”.

Egyptian prosecutors have accused ousted President Mohammed Morsi of leaking state secrets to Iran's Revolutionary Guards
Egyptian prosecutors have accused ousted President Mohammed Morsi of leaking state secrets to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards

Mohamed Morsi is also accused of collaborating with the Palestinian movement Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement. If convicted, he could receive the death penalty.

During Sunday’s hearing, Mohamed Morsi was held separately in a soundproof glass cage to prevent him shouting and disrupting proceedings.

Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the military last July following mass street protests against his government.

There has since been a severe crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood group, as well as on other activists seen as hostile to the military-backed government.

The Muslim Brotherhood has been declared a terrorist organization and authorities have punished any public show of support for it.

Other senior Brotherhood figures, including supreme guide Mohammed Badie and his deputy and former presidential candidate Khairat al-Shater, are also facing a raft of charges.

Proceedings in two other trials have already begun.

The first opened in November, with Mohamed Morsi facing charges of inciting the killing of protesters near the presidential palace when he was in office in 2012.

In January, another trial opened concerning Mohamed Morsi’s escape from prison in a jailbreak in 2011, during which police officers were killed.

The fourth trial, which has yet to open, will be on charges of insulting the judiciary.

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Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Closing ceremony details

Clyde K. Valle
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Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Closing ceremony details

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics closing ceremony will be held on February 23 at 20:00 local time, at the Fisht Olympic Stadium.

The closing ceremony will feature the parade of athletes, the extinguishing of the Olympic flame and the official hand over to South Korea.

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics closing ceremony will be held at the Fisht Olympic Stadium
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics closing ceremony will be held at the Fisht Olympic Stadium

The 2018 Winter Olympics will take place in Pyeongchang, between February 9 and February 25.

On February 23, Russia celebrates Defender of the Fatherland Day.

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Charlotte Dawson commits suicide as she struggles financially

Lisa.Felice
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Charlotte Dawson commits suicide as she struggles financially

Australian TV personality Charlotte Dawson was found dead at her Woolloomooloo home  in an apparent suicide following a long and very public battle with depression.

Charlotte Dawson’s friends have spoken of a sense of inevitability around her death, revealing that in recent weeks her mental state seemed specially fragile.

It is believed Charlotte Dawson, 47, was struggling financially, having borrowed up to $80,000 from friends as she tried to keep up the rent on her $1200-a-week apartment.

Charlotte Dawson had also been axed from her role on the popular Foxtel TV show Australia’s Next Top Model, and last November parted ways with management company Chic Management after they said her battles with mental illness were “damaging her brand”.

Charlotte Dawson was found dead at her Woolloomooloo home in an apparent suicide
Charlotte Dawson was found dead at her Woolloomooloo home in an apparent suicide

Only a week ago, Charlotte Dawson’s ex-husband Scott Miller had appeared on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes to talk about his drug addiction and the role it had played in the breakdown of their marriage. Charlotte Dawson, who described Scott Miller as the “love of her life”, said at the time she wasn’t sure if she would be strong enough to watch the interview.

Charlotte Dawson’s body was discovered the morning after Scott Miller’s 39th birthday.

She is understood to have been found by a security guard in her rented waterside apartment in the early hours of yesterday morning. Her body was later formally identified yesterday by Madeline Huett, a friend and former Top Model contestant.

Charlotte Dawson was hospitalized in 2012 after hundreds of social media trolls viciously targeted her on Twitter.

A police media spokesman told news.com.au: “About 11a.m., police from the Kings Cross local area command were called to Cowper Wharf Road after the body of a woman had been located in a unit. No suspicious circumstances at this stage and a report is being prepared for the coroner.”

It is believed her body was discovered after a real estate agent raised the alarm after she couldn’t reach Charlotte Dawson by mobile phone in relation to the auction of her home.

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Thailand: Gunmen attack opposition rally killing 5-year-old girl in Trat

Diane A. Wade
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Thailand: Gunmen attack opposition rally killing 5-year-old girl in Trat

A five-year-old girl has been killed and dozens of other people wounded after gunmen have opened fire on an anti-government rally in eastern Thailand.

Attackers threw explosives and shot at demonstrators at a rally called by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

The incident took place at a night market in the Khao Saming district of Trat province late on Saturday.

Tensions across Thailand have escalated since a wave of anti-government protests began in November.

The demonstrators want PM Yingluck Shinawatra to resign to make way for an appointed interim government, but she has refused.

On Tuesday several people were killed in clashes that erupted in Bangkok, when police began clearing protest sites.

Attackers threw grenades and sprayed the crowd with bullets at a night market in the Khao Saming district of Trat province
Attackers threw grenades and sprayed the crowd with bullets at a night market in the Khao Saming district of Trat province

The latest attack occurred about 180 miles south-east of Bangkok.

Officials said the five-year-old girl had been standing at a noodle stall when the attackers, in two pick-up trucks, opened fire at the PDRC rally. She died from a gunshot wound to the head.

At least 30 other people are believed to have been injured. Another child is said to be in a critical condition.

PDRC spokesman Suwicharn Suwannakha said the attack happened during a speech by a party leader, Thai newspaper The Nation reported.

Suwicharn Suwannakha said he first heard the explosions and gunfire and then saw chairs in front of the stage scattered.

No group has so far said it carried out the attack.

There has been growing frustration recently from the red shirts over the government’s inability to disperse the protesters, who have been occupying parts of central Bangkok for weeks.

Red-shirt leaders have organized a mass gathering in north-eastern Thailand this weekend to decide how they should fight back against the campaign to unseat the government.

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Yulia Tymoshenko urges opposition supporters to continue protests

Diane A. Wade
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Yulia Tymoshenko urges opposition supporters to continue protests

Yulia Tymoshenko has urged opposition supporters in Kiev’s Independence Square to continue their protests.

Ukraine’s former PM Yulia Tymoshenko, who has a back injury, addressed crowds from a wheelchair after being freed from detention.

“Until you finish this job… nobody has the right to leave,” she said.

Her speech came at the end of a dramatic day that saw President Viktor Yanukovych removed by the parliament and fleeing Kiev, but refusing to stand down.

Yulia Tymoshenko broke down in tears as she told cheering supporters late on Saturday: “You are heroes.

Yulia Tymoshenko has urged opposition supporters in Kiev's Independence Square to continue their protests
Yulia Tymoshenko has urged opposition supporters in Kiev’s Independence Square to continue their protests

“Because nobody could… do what you have done.”  

“We’ve eliminated this cancer, this tumor,” she said.

However, while Yulia Tymoshenko was hailed by many in the audience, she does not enjoy universal support among the opposition.

Before she went into prison in 2011, Yulia Tymoshenko’s popularity ratings were dropping and many Ukrainians blame her in part for the chaos of the post-Orange Revolution years, or see her as a member of Ukraine’s corrupt elite.

Dozens of people walked away in disgust when she appeared on the stage in Independence Square.

A vote by parliament on Friday paved the way for Yulia Tymoshenko’s release.

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Pharrell Williams’ Grammys hat attracts $10,500 within 24 hours in auction

Lisa.Felice
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Pharrell Williams’ Grammys hat attracts $10,500 within 24 hours in auction

Pharrell Williams is auctioning the much talked about hat he wore at this year’s Grammy Awards.

The item, listed as “Pharrell Williams’ mountain hat”, attracted a bid of $10,500 within 24 hours of being put online.

The profits of the sale will go towards the producer’s charity From One Hand To Another.

The charity raises funds for seven to 20 year olds living in at risk communities throughout America.

Pharrell Williams is auctioning the hat he wore at this year's Grammy Awards
Pharrell Williams is auctioning the hat he wore at this year’s Grammy Awards

Pharrell Williams tweeted: “We started my hat auction at $200 (the price I paid for it) and it’s already up to over 10K?”

So far, there have been 11 separate bidders and 64 bids on the hat, with the auction coming to a close on March 2.

The description of the item says that it was designed by Vivienne Westwood and that “the hat comes with a letter of authenticity.”

Pharrell Williams performed at the Grammys with Stevie Wonder, Nile Rogers and Daft Punk and also played at the BRIT Awards.

The singer’s number one single Happy, taken from Despicable Me 2 has been nominated for best song at this year’s Oscar awards.

Pharrell Williams also recently announced that he will release a new solo album next month.

The new album, which will be called G I R L, will be Pharrell Williams’ second record in eight years and is set to be released on March 3.

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Venezuela: Violent clashes at Caracas march

Diane A. Wade
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Venezuela: Violent clashes at Caracas march

Police and opposition demonstrators have clashed in Venezuela at the end of a march that gathered tens of thousands of people in Caracas.

Several people were injured, as police fired tear gas and activists hurled stones in the Altamira district.

Supporters of left-wing President Nicolas Maduro marched in central Caracas and other cities.

Ten people have now died in nearly two weeks of protests, which Nicolas Maduro has called a coup attempt.

Nicolas Maduro says the violence is part of a strategy devised by right-wing groups, with the support of the US, to destabilize his government.

“We have a strong democracy. What we don’t have in Venezuela is a democratic opposition,” Nicolas Maduro told thousands of his supporters in Caracas.

Police and opposition demonstrators have clashed in Venezuela at the end of a march that gathered tens of thousands of people in Caracas
Police and opposition demonstrators have clashed in Venezuela at the end of a march that gathered tens of thousands of people in Caracas

Nicolas Maduro was elected last April, following the death of Hugo Chavez, who was in office for 14 years.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who was defeated in last year’s presidential election, led a march in the capital.

He spoke against the arrest, on Tuesday, of fellow opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez, accused by the government of inciting violence.

Henrique Capriles called on his supporters to carry on protesting, but to avoid any form of violence.

“There are millions of reasons to protest, there are so many problems, so many people suffering. But his movement we have built must be different,” he said.

The opposition’s main grievances are rampant crime, high inflation and the shortage of many staples. It blames the economic problems on the left-wing policies of the past 15 years.

Opposition demonstrators also took part in marches in western Tachira and Merida states.

The current wave of protests began on 12 February. Three people were shot dead at the end of those marches in Caracas by unknown gunmen.

Daily protests have been held in Caracas for the past 11 days.

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Maria von Trapp dead: Last surviving member of Trapp Family Singers dies at 99

Sonia Pantiss
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Maria von Trapp dead: Last surviving member of Trapp Family Singers dies at 99

Maria von Trapp, the last surviving member of the Trapp Family Singers, the group whose story inspired The Sound of Music, has died at the age of 99, her family announced.

Maria von Trapp died at her home in Vermont on Tuesday, her brother, Johannes von Trapp, told the Associated Press.

Johannes von Trapp said she was a “lovely woman who was one of the few truly good people”.

Maria Von Trapp and her family fled Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 and ended up performing around the US.

Their story eventually inspired the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music, and subsequent 1965 hit film.

It tells the tale of a young woman who leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the seven children of a naval officer widower, Georg von Trapp.

Maria Von Trapp and her family fled Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 and ended up performing around the US
Maria Von Trapp and her family fled Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 and ended up performing around the US

Maria von Trapp was the second-oldest daughter of Capt von Trapp – with his first wife – and was portrayed as Louisa in the musical.

Her family moved to the US state of Vermont in 1942 after visiting during a singing tour, and later opened a lodge in the town of Stowe, which they still operate.

Writing in a blog post on the lodge’s website, Maria von Trapp described how it was her ill health as a child that led her father to employ a governess to teach her and her siblings.

“She came to us as my teacher and after three years became our second mother,” she said.

Marianne Dorfer, a family friend who runs the von Trapp Villa Hotel in Salzburg told the Austrian Times that Maria von Trapp had suffered from a weak heart since childhood.

She said it was because of Maria’s ill heath that her father decided to hire a governess.

“That of course then led to one of the most remarkable musical partnerships of the last century,” she added.

The Sound of Music was based loosely on a 1949 book by the governess, who became Capt von Trapp’s second wife and died in 1987.

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Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman: World’s most wanted drug baron arrested in Mexico

Nancy Clayson
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Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman: World’s most wanted drug baron arrested in Mexico

Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman – Mexico’s top drug lord and one of the world’s most wanted drug baron – has been arrested in Mexico.

El Chapo (Shorty) Guzman was the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, which smuggles huge amounts of illegal drugs into the US.

He had been on the run since escaping a high-security prison in a laundry basket in 2001.

Mexican police arrested him in Sinaloa state, in a joint operation with US anti-drugs forces.

Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto used his Twitter account to praise the forces involved in the arrest in the north-western resort of Mazatlan, in Sinaloa state.

Joaquin Guzman was taken to Mexico City and paraded before the media, before boarding a helicopter surrounded by heavily armed troops.

He was taken straight to prison, Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said.

The US state department had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest.

US Attorney General Eric Holder described Shorty Guzman’s arrest as “a landmark achievement” for Mexico and “a victory for the citizens of both Mexico and the United States”.

Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, which smuggles huge amounts of illegal drugs into the US
Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, which smuggles huge amounts of illegal drugs into the US (photo Reuters)

Shorty Guzman has been indicted in the US on federal trafficking charges.

The Sinaloa cartel controls much of the flow of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine to the US.

Joaquin Guzman’s arrest is a big boost for the administration of Enrique Pena Nieto.

Enrique Pena Nieto, who took office just over two years ago, said he intended to change the “war on drugs” policy of his predecessor, Felipe Calderon, which critics say led to a rise in violence throughout Mexico.

But Mexican police and troops have killed or arrested key figures in the drugs cartels since Enrique Pena Nieto came to power.

The US has also arrested several associates and relatives of Shorty Guzman.

In May 2012, the US Treasury Department put two of his sons – Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Ovidio Guzman Lopez – on its blacklist of drugs kingpins.

Their assets were frozen and US nationals and companies were prevented from doing business with them.

Shorty Guzman’s father-in-law, Ines Coronel, was arrested nearly a year ago. He was accused of smuggling drugs into the US.

Joaquin Guzman was born in the town of Badiraguato, probably 56 years ago, and became an important figure in the drug cartels in the 1980s.

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Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Day 16, February 23

Clyde K. Valle
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Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Day 16, February 23

Sochi Winter Games: Day 16, February 23

Medals to be won today: Bobsleigh (four-man), cross country skiing (men’s mass start), ice hockey (men’s gold).

Highlights include:

07:00 Cross country skiing – men’s mass start.

Sochi Winter Olympics 2014
Sochi Winter Olympics 2014

09:30 Bobsleigh – four-man third and fourth heats.

12:00 Ice hockey – men’s final.

16:00 Closing ceremony. The last action of the Sochi Olympic Games features speeches, the lowering of the Olympic flag and a ceremonial handing-over to Pyeongchang, South Korea, which will host the next Winter Games in 2018. However, Sochi’s Games are by no means over – the Winter Paralympics begin on March 7 and run until March 16.

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How many children does Bruce Jenner have?

Lisa.Felice
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How many children does Bruce Jenner have?

Former Olympic champion Bruce Jenner has six children from three marriages.

During his first marriage, to Chrystie Crownover, Bruce Jenner had two children, Burton William “Burt” and  Cassandra Lynn “Casey’.

Bruce Jenner was married to Chrystie Crownover from December 15, 1972 to January 2, 1981 during the height of his athletic career.

Burt Jenner was born on September 6, 1978) and Casey Jenner on June 10, 1980. Burt was named after Bruce Jenner’s younger brother who died in car accident.

During his second marriage, to Linda Thompson (1981 to 1985), Bruce Jenner had two sons, Brandon (born June 4, 1981) and Sam “Brody” (born August 21, 1983).

Bruce Jenner has six children from three marriages
Bruce Jenner has six children from three marriages

Brandon and Brody Jenner appeared in their own reality show The Princes of Malibu. Brody Jenner was also on the reality show The Hills.

Bruce Jenner married Kris Kardashian (née Houghton) on April 21, 1991 after five months of dating. He has two girls with Kris: Kendall Nicole Jenner (born November 3, 1995) and Kylie Kristen Jenner (August 10, 1997.)

He also became a stepfather for Kris’ children from her previous marriage to the late lawyer Robert Kardashian: Kourtney Mary Kardashian (born April 18, 1979,) Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980,) Khloé Alexandra Kardashian (born June 27, 1984,) and Robert Arthur Kardashian Jr. (born March 17, 1987.)

Bruce and Kris Jenner announced their separation in October 2013, though they had actually separated a year earlier.

Yulia Tymoshenko arrives in Kiev’s Independence Square

Diane A. Wade
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Yulia Tymoshenko arrives in Kiev’s Independence Square

Yulia Tymoshenko has arrived in Kiev’s Independence Square to cheers of thousands, hours after being freed from jail.

The former Ukrainian prime minister is addressing the crowds there from her wheelchair.

Just hours earlier, Yulia Tymoshenko was freed following a vote by parliament on Friday demanding her release.

Yulia Tymoshenko has arrived in Kiev’s Independence Square to cheers of thousands, hours after being freed from jail
Yulia Tymoshenko has arrived in Kiev’s Independence Square to cheers of thousands, hours after being freed from jail

Speaking after President Viktor Yanukovych had left the capital Kiev, Yulia Tymoshenko said a “dictatorship has fallen”.

Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in jail in 2011 after a controversial verdict on her actions as prime minister.

She left the hospital in the eastern city of Kharkiv, where she had been held under prison guard, and flew to Kiev.

Yulia Tymoshenko told journalists at Kiev airport that those behind violence “must be punished”, the Interfax agency reports.

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Jennifer Lopez to star in NBC’s drama Shades of Blue

Lisa.Felice
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Jennifer Lopez to star in NBC’s drama Shades of Blue

Jennifer Lopez is set to star in NBC’s drama Shades of Blue, which has received a 13-episode order from the network.

Jennifer Lopez is set to star in NBC’s drama Shades of Blue
Jennifer Lopez is set to star in NBC’s drama Shades of Blue

Jennifer Lopez will play Harlee McCord, a single mother and detective recruited to work undercover for the FBI’s anti-corruption task force. Part of a close-knit unit known for its conviction record, Harlee McCord has become compromised by her colleagues – all of whom also pitch in to help her raise her daughter – and finds herself faced with the moral dilemma of working against her cop brothers in order to redeem herself.

The series will be written by Adi Hasak, who executive produces with Ryan Seacrest, Nina Wass, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina. Shades of Blue production is planned to begin in 2015 and the series will air in the 2015-16 season.

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